Destiny, convention bureau teams in search of more Canadian dollars for Syracuse

Ruth and Ken Garvey, from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, shopping at Macy's at Destiny USA, then Carousel Center, the day after Thanksgiving 2011.Dick Blume/The Post Standard

Syracuse, NY -- In a two-pronged venture, Destiny USA and the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau are teaming and traveling to and across the Canadian border in search of more tourism dollars for the mall and the region.

Representatives of the Syracuse shopping center and the tourism organization are traveling to Buffalo and Ottawa in the coming days for events aimed at luring more Canadian visitors and their money to the market.

And on Tuesday, another team representing Destiny and the convention bureau will be in Ottawa at the residence of David Jacobson, the United States ambassador to Canada. Jacobson is hosting a Meet Syracuse event, an invitation-only happening showcasing Syracuse as a tourist destination. That media event is open at travel agents, the local business community and media representatives from greater Ottawa, the capital of Canada and a three-hour drive from Syracuse.

Destiny -- the former Carousel Center -- and the Syracuse area have long been a draw for Canadian shoppers either passing through on Interstate 81 south or making the region a destination.

"Our proximity and accessibility are very appealing to tourists from Canada,'' said David Holder, president of the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau, who cited new shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities at Destiny as one reason for the marketing visits. "... We have the opportunity to inundate the Ontario marketplace with Syracuse messaging and our upcoming events are just the beginning of our marketing efforts."

Destiny executives have said Canadian visitors are responsible for from 12 percent to 15 percent of the center's annual sales.

The five-day Ontario Motor Coach Association Conference & Marketplace, a trade show expecting approximately 19,000 attendees, will feature more than 60 Canadian tour businesses belonging to the organization, which is the largest travel and tourism-related association in Canada. Those businesses include private bus operators and charter and coach companies.